Aftermath
by VampFan2442
Summary: This story takes place where the finale left off. Only difference is that Jeremy did not see ghosts.
1. Chapter 1

**This story takes place right where the season finale ends. Only difference is that Jeremy did not see any ghosts of girlfriends past. I don't own TVD, I just love me some Damon Salvatore! **

**Chapter 1:**

As soon as Elena was sure that Damon was okay, she grabbed her keys and headed out of the house, determined to go find Stefan and see for herself if Katherine was telling the truth. Damon stopped her before she could get to the front door.

"Elena, you can't just go running off after him. If he is on human blood, he will not be able to stop himself from hurting you, which will hurt him once he realizes what he's done." He tried to reason with her, knowing it was pointless but needing to try just the same.

"I have to Damon. If I can just talk to him, I can convince him that you are okay and he can come back to us. He won't go back to killing humans, he hated being that person. I know him, I know he won't do it if he can just see me and know that I'll help him. We can lock him up in the basement again and wean him off of it!" Elena yelled in a panic. She knew every minute he was on human blood, the harder it would be to get him back to normal.

Damon could see that she was going to do this with or without him, so he let out a sigh and then grabbed the keys from her. She began to protest, thinking he was trying to stop her, but then he said "If you are bound and determined to go after him, I'm going with you." He got into the drivers seat and waited for her to join him.

Damon drove straight to Alaric's apartment assuming that would be the best place to start their search since it is where Klaus had been staying. They were both silent the whole drive, each lost in their own thoughts.

Damon had a million things running through his head. How could Stefan have agreed to this? Damon knew his life wasn't worth the sacrifice and he thought Stefan knew it as well. Why didn't Stefan just let him die and move on? His life would have been so much easier without Damon around causing problems and trying to come between Stefan and Elena. Elena. That is something else he couldn't stop thinking about. The kiss and the fact that she said she likes him now, just the way he is. He knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness, but he'd never needed anything more. If he'd died thinking that Elena hated him, that would have been a fate worse than death. And that kiss… How could he be thinking of this right now though? Stefan basically gave up his life for Damon's and all Damon could do was fantasize about Stefan's girlfriend. He quickly shook the thoughts from his mind and began focusing on where they were going and what he would do once they got there.

As they continued on towards Alaric's, Elena was having a meltdown inside. She couldn't believe that Stefan had agreed to go back on human blood. How could he do that to himself and to her? He must know that they will not be together any longer if he makes that choice, so is that what he wanted? To not be with her? And to think while he was giving up his life for his brother, she was kissing Damon and telling him that she cares about him. What kind of person is she? She was so disgusted with herself. But at the same time she felt like she had really helped Damon in that moment by opening up to him. Why did it always have to be one or the other with the Salvatore's? Why couldn't she ever make them both happy at the same time, instead of always hurting one to make the other happy? She knew the answer of course, they both loved her. So it would always be this way, only one of them would be happy with her decisions because they always seem to counteract with the other brother.

As they pulled up to Alaric's apartment, Elena saw the last thing she ever wanted to see. Stefan was feeding from a girl, probably around Elena's age, and she was looking very weak like she was on the verge of death. Elena flung herself out of the car before it even stopped fully and began running towards Stefan yelling his name and begging him to stop.

Stefan's head whipped towards her and he could hear her heart beating. He knew there was something familiar in her voice and in the smell of her blood, but he was too far gone to think clearly. He dropped the girl in his arms to the ground and headed towards the girl yelling his name, thrilled at the thought of draining her as well. Just as he was about to reach her he crashed into another body. He was snarling and fighting to get out of the grasp of the vampire holding him, who also seemed familiar, but he wasn't strong enough. Having only been on human blood for a few hours, he was still no match for a vampire who had been on human blood for years. As the other vampire fought him, his head began to clear of the blood frenzy and he finally realized why this vampire and human girl seemed so familiar. He stopped struggling and looked at Elena's crying form, lying in a heap on the ground sobbing for him to stop.

"I'm so sorry Elena." He whispered, unsure if she could even hear him, so embarrassed by the site she had witnessed that he just wanted to be away from her. "This is my life now. You need to go home and never look back. I'm leaving Mystic Falls tonight." He then looked at Damon and in a voice too low for Elena to hear he said, "Please, take care of her brother." With that he turned and sped off into the darkness. Klaus let out a low chuckle and Damon and Elena both noticed him for the first time since arriving. Elena jumped up from the ground and whirled towards him.

"You!" She shouted with fury and ran towards him. Damon was at her side in an instant, holding her back from charging at Klaus and getting herself killed. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from him?" She half yelled, half sobbed out the last part as her anger died down into pain and sadness.

"I could tell you my plans, but then I'd have to kill you both." Klaus answered with a smile. "And judging from the lengths Stefan went to to keep you both safe, I'd say that would not be want he'd want. So I'll just say this, Stefan is mine now. You two need to move and forget about him. If you try to meddle with my plans, you will pay with your lives as well as the lives of your loved ones. Consider this your one and only warning."

And then he was gone, heading off in the same direction Stefan had run. Elena fell back to the ground, her sobs growing louder and louder. Damon took her in his arms and held her as tight as he could without hurting her. He knew this was going to be a long hard road, but he was determined to be there for Elena as long as she wanted him to be. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he needed her as much as she needed him in that moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own TVD. Please let me know what you think. I love reviews!**

**Chapter 2**

The next few days passed in a blur for Elena. She spent most of the day in bed, ignoring anyone who entered her room. She couldn't believe Stefan was really gone. How could he do this to her? She was so angry at him for making that decision and yet she also realized that he did it for Damon. He gave up his life to save his brother's. As noble as that sounds, she couldn't stop herself from being furious with him for making such a decision.

Damon came around often. He would try talking to Elena once in awhile, but most of the time he'd just sit in the chair in her room. She knew without speaking to him that he was feeling just as bad, if not worse than she was right now. He blamed himself for what happened. He said it all goes back to his foolish acts. Stefan never would have been searching for a cure to a wolf bite if Damon hadn't forced Elena to drink his blood and then tried to stop the ritual from happening by kidnapping Tyler. Elena knew she should tell him that it wasn't his fault, but deep down there was a part of her that did blame Damon. She knew it was silly and that he ultimately couldn't be blamed for Stefan's decisions, but there were times when she let herself believe it.

Damon was going crazy with Elena's silent treatment. He had promised himself that he would be there for Elena, and his brother's final plea was that he take care of her. But it was getting to the point where he wasn't sure if he was helping her by being around or just making it harder. After going back and forth over what to do for days and days, he finally made a decision. He was going to leave, let Elena have her space and move on with her life. He would be there in the background, watching over her and making sure she was safe, but he wouldn't burden her with his presence any longer. He knew he had to at least say goodbye, so he went to her house just before ten that night, knowing that Elena would be alone in her room by then.

As he entered, he wasn't surprised to see that Elena was curled up in a ball as she had been for the last week straight. He kept telling himself over and over that this is for the best, even though he knew it would be the hardest thing he ever had to do.

"Elena." He said softly to be sure she was awake. She didn't move so he gently shook her shoulder. She ignored him for a minute longer until she realized he wasn't giving up so she finally sighed and said "Go away Damon." That one sentence was like a punch to the gut. He knew he needed to do this, but he kept trying to convince himself it wasn't really what she wanted. But now he knew that it was what she wanted, so he would give it to her.

"I'm going to, but I wanted to say goodbye first." He had a speech prepared to explain why he was leaving, but as soon as the word goodbye left his mouth, Elena flew out of the bed and into his arms. "What do you mean goodbye?" She asked frantically, her whole body shaking as she hugged him as tight as she could.

This just caused Damon even more confusion. "I thought that is what you wanted. I feel like I'm causing you even more grief by being here all the time. If I'm gone, you can move on with your life and be happy again someday. I know this was all my fault, and I don't want to burden you with the task of trying to be okay with me when we both know Stefan would be here if it wasn't for my actions." Damon tried to pull back so that he could meet Elena's eyes, but she was holding so tight that he couldn't help but hug her back, just this one last time.

"No Damon, please. Please don't leave. I know I've been awful these last few days, I just needed some time to sulk and grieve, but I can't handle you leaving me too." She said with such fear in her voice that Damon was shocked into silence for a minute. She finally pulled back to look at him, still worried he was going to leave. Once again she said, "Please Damon."

He finally regained his composure and found his voice. "Of course Elena. As long as you want me around, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." The look of relief in Elena's eyes warmed his heart and made him happier than he had felt in weeks. He couldn't believe he had almost agreed to not be with her everyday. She hugged him tight again and he finally told her he would let her get to sleep and they could talk tomorrow. She looked at him again with horror in her eyes.

"I'll just be downstairs on the couch, okay? I'm not leaving." He said with a slight smile, still shocked to learn that she wanted him around so badly. She was still grasping tightly to his shoulders and she softly whispered, "Stay with me?" He was silent for a moment and she continued "Please, just stay with me. I feel safer with you here."

Damon didn't know if it was a good idea to sleep in her bed with her, but he knew that he would never refuse her anything she asked of him. She is quietly said, "Anything, Elena." She scooted back into bed, leaving space for Damon and holding up the blankets for him. He quickly slid in next to her and pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arm over his waist and snuggled into his chest and simply whispered, "Thank you" before drifting off to sleep.

From the night forward, Damon spent every night in Elena's bed. It wasn't a sexual situation. It was simply about comfort and security. They were both missing Stefan, and they needed each other to lean on and help one another get past the pain. And they both finally believed that in time, they could move past it even though he would forever have a place in their heart.

Elena got out of bed the next day and made a point of talking to all her friends. She thanked them for coming to see her and for caring about how she was doing. She assured them that while she was still incredibly sad and hurting from all the loss they had experienced recently, she was also ready to start living again and would not be reverting back to her hermit status.

Because Elena and Jeremy were both under 18, social services came around to visit them a few weeks after Jenna's funeral. They needed to have a legal guardian, without one they would be sent to foster homes. Elena originally thought since she was almost 18 that she could become Jeremy's legal guardian, but the courts did not agree. They said she was too young and had been through too much loss to take on that responsibility right now. She was in a panic discussing it with Damon, trying to figure out what to do. She was practically ready to run away and evade the authorities just to make sure her and Jeremy could stay together.

"I think I know a way to solve this problem, without anyone going on the lam." Damon said with a smirk. It was typical Damon fashion to make light of a serious situation and try to get Elena to laugh. Today it was not working though. She was not in the mood for jokes.

"Well, what is it then?" She asked impatiently.

"What if I become your guardian?" He replied, still grinning.

"Be serious Damon. We need to come up with a solution soon. I will _not_ let Jeremy be taken from me." She was practically in tears so he decided he better get to the point quick.

"I am being serious Elena. I have stayed here every night since…that night." He trailed off slightly for a moment, but then got back on track. "And according to legal documents I am 22 years old and technically Stefan's legal guardian as well." They both flinched at the mentioning of Stefan's name, but Damon carried on with his plan. "So it just makes sense for me to become your legal guardian. I've already got the paperwork ready, all you have to do is agree and we can go get it signed and notarized this week."

"What about Jeremy? I don't know if he'll agree to this. You did try to kill him, after all." Even though Elena said she forgave Damon, he knew they still had a long way to go before she truly moved past what he did. Luckily he had foreseen this exact statement from her, so he spoke with Jeremy about this before talking to her.

"I've already talked to him and he is fine with it. He agreed that if I'm going to be staying here anyway, why not make me the guardian? That way we can all stay together and we don't have to bring anyone else into this crazy world we live in." Damon knew there was no other argument she could make, so he sat back and just let the idea sink in with her.

Finally she grinned and said, "Okay, let's go sign the papers _father_."

"Oh no, I am _not_ your father! If you want to call me _daddy_ then we can talk, but none of this father business!" Damon said and jumped up to grab Elena and tickle her. She was laughing so hard they didn't hear Jeremy knock and enter the room.

"Hey dad, I don't know if you should be in your daughter's room tickling her like that. It might seem a little inappropriate to the social worker when she gets here." Jeremy said with a smile. Elena cracked up laughing and Damon just looked at him like he was crazy.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Damon muttered and walked out of the room.

By the end of the week, all the paperwork was signed and Damon was officially their guardian. It was a little weird, and Jeremy and Elena had a lot of fun teasing him about it, but it really was the best solution. And Damon had no intentions of leaving either of them alone anyway, with or without guardianship. Although Klaus and Stefan were gone, there was no telling when they may show back up. Or Katherine for that matter. So Damon planned to be ready for them if and when they came.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own TVD. **

**Chapter 3 **

Summer break finally arrived and things were starting to get a lot more normal for everyone. Of course they all felt the loss of their loved ones on a daily basis, but they were able to cope with it and at least attempt to have a normal life. Bonnie and Jeremy were going strong in their relationship so she spent a lot of time at the Gilbert house. Her and Damon were even on good terms, or at least as good as could be expected from them. Once in awhile when Bonnie thought no one was looking, Elena could see her crack a smile at some smartass comment Damon made. The four of them spent a lot of time together, along with Carolyn and Tyler. They had been through a lot themselves so it was great to see them growing so close and relying on each other to move on. Matt was still uncomfortable with the vampire situation, so they did not see him much. It was tough going to the grill with the whole group together and Matt on the outside. They tried many times to get him to hang out with them, but it was just too much for him knowing that vampires had killed his sister after turning her into one.

One afternoon about four months after Stefan's disappearance, Elena and Damon were sitting on the couch watching a movie. They had done this many times over the past few months, both content in their newly strengthened relationship. They had grown to be very close friends, some may say more than friends because of the fact that they slept in bed together, curled up on the couch for movies together, even held hands sometimes when they were out, but nothing sexual had ever occurred between them. The last kiss they shared was the night Stefan left, and neither of them were ready to even talk about that kiss yet, let alone relive it. As they were watching the movie a passionate love scene came on. Elena fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable being so close to Damon with such an intimate moment on screen. Elena glanced at Damon out of the corner of her eye and found him staring right at her, not at the TV.

"What?" She asked shyly.

"Oh, nothing." He coyly replied.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She pressed, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer or not.

"Just thinking about how beautiful you are." He said with a grin.

Whether it was loneliness from Stefan being gone, the compliment Damon had just given her, or merely the fact that Damon looked like Adonis himself sitting on her couch, Elena suddenly had the urge to kiss him. So without thinking about it she threw herself into his lap and kissed him with everything she had. He froze for a split second and then kissed her back just as passionately. This went on for a few minutes until Damon pulled away.

"Wait. What's going on here Elena?" Damon asked in a gentle voice, trying very hard not to upset or offend her but needing to know why she was suddenly in his lap, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

"What do you mean? We're kissing. Why do you have to ruin it by talking about it?" Elena said with a mixture of embarrassment and anger in her voice. She could not believe she had just attacked him like that, but she was even more horrified that he had stopped her. Isn't this what he had always wanted, to be with her in this way? So why did he stop her and make her feel like an idiot for making a move?

Damon let out a sigh knowing that she was teetering on the edge of getting mad and storming out, possibly not speaking to him for awhile until she got past the embarrassment she was obviously feeling. He knew he had to be very careful about what he said next. "Look Elena, that kiss was amazing and I would love nothing more than to continue it," Damon paused for a moment to let his statement sink in. "but if something is going to happen between us, I want it to be because you love_ me_ and want to be with _me_. Not because you miss my brother. I know it's going to take time for you to move on from him, and I really don't think you are ready for that yet. So as much as it kills me to say it, we can't do this. Not yet."

Elena sat quietly for a moment, stunned by his speech. Who would have thought Damon could be so noble? She knew in her heart that he was right. She was starting to grow strong feelings for Damon, but she was not over Stefan. Having him gone still hurt every day and until she got past that, it was not fair to Damon to use him to move on from his brother. She was so embarrassed for her actions, she just wanted to get out of the room and away from him.

"I'm so sorry Damon. I don't know what came over me. I'm just going to go to my room for awhile. I'll see you later." She said quietly and began to walk out of the room. Damon was in front of her in an instant blocking her path.

"Don't do that." He said and waited for her to respond.

"I'm not doing anything, just going to my room. I just need to be alone right now." She said without making eye contact. Damon lifted her face to meet his gaze.

"Don't push me away Elena. Not now. We both need each other right now. This doesn't have to be a big deal, okay? I won't even bring it up again if you don't want me to. But please, don't withdraw yourself from me. _Not now_." They stood there with their eyes locked for a long moment and finally Elena let out a sigh and spoke.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Let's just pretend it never happened, okay? Maybe we should skip the rest of the movie. I think I'll get started on dinner. Jeremy should be home soon and I think Bonnie is coming over as well."

Damon was relieved that she was not retreating back to her bedroom, but he knew there was no way he was going to pretend that the kiss never happened. How could he? It was the most amazing kiss he had ever experienced, and that was saying a lot considering all the kisses he'd had over the years. He vowed to himself right then and there that they would kiss again, but not yet. Not until they both had more time to mourn Stefan leaving and really move on without the burden of his absence. He agreed to help her with dinner and after about fifteen minutes things seemed to be back to normal with them. They were joking around and having a mini food fight when there was a knock on the door.

"Truce! I have to get the door!" Elena yelled with a laugh and headed to the living room. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Alaric standing there. She had not seen him since the day after Stefan left. He said he needed to get away for awhile, figure things out. They all wished he would stay, knowing that he would be better off with loved ones around than on his own, but it was his choice so they said goodbye and wished him luck. "Alaric! Come in, how are you? I'd hug you but I think you'd probably rather I didn't right now." She said with a grin as she moved out of the way for him to step inside. He let out a chuckle at the state of Elena's clothes and hair, which happened to be covered in flour and eggs.

"I'm good. School starts back up in a few weeks so I figured it was time to get back to town. Just thought I'd stop by and make sure everything is going okay for you guys before I head home." There was a tinge of sadness in his statement, even though he attempted to cover it with a smile.

"We're doing okay, hanging in there as best we can anyway. Damon and I were just making dinner. Jeremy and Bonnie should be here soon. Why don't you stick around and eat with us? It will be nice to catch up."

"Sure, that sounds great." Alaric said, seeming to perk up slightly. Damon came into the living room then, causing Alaric to let out a full belly laugh as he saw the state Damon was in. He had definitely gotten the worst of the food fight.

"Hey Ric. What's so funny, do I have something in my hair?" Damon said with a smirk. He had heard Elena and Ric's conversation from the kitchen and could tell he was in need of some cheering up.

"Now this is quite a site. A vampire that clearly lost a food fight with a human, that's a good one." He said with a chuckle.

"Don't be fooled teach, I let her win obviously." With that Elena smashed another egg onto his back and then took off running to the kitchen to finish dinner and let the guys catch up.

An hour later dinner was ready, Elena and Damon had cleaned up, and they were all sitting around the table reminiscing about old times. For the past few months, Elena and Jeremy had a ritual that every night at dinner they would talk about everyone they had lost; Jenna, Stefan, their parents, Anna and Vicki, and even John and Isobel. It was a way of helping them all cope with the great loss they had experienced. Damon even joined in some days, although most times he would just sit quietly and listen to their stories.

Alaric had been on his own since shortly after the funeral, so he did not seem to be dealing with the loss as well as they had. However, that night he was able to really smile and laugh again without it being forced or faked. He realized that he never should have left in the first place. This is his family now, and they all need to stick together. He had to hold in a slight chuckle when he thought of Damon being included in that 'family.' Who would have thought a few years ago that he would end up thinking of a vampire as a friend and even family? But that is exactly how he felt. Even knowing that Damon could be a complete ass at times, they had grown to care about each other and oddly enough Damon was probably his best friend at this point. He shook off the thought and headed for the door, ready to go back to his apartment alone. That thought was enough to kill the good mood he had gained throughout the night.

As Ric was getting ready to leave, Elena could tell his spirits were dropping again. She knew that being with them for a few hours had improved his mood greatly and she really hated the idea of him going home to an empty apartment and getting back into the funk he was in when he arrived. So she decided to take action to help him move on.

"Hey Alaric, before you go I wanted to talk to you about something. I haven't had a chance to discuss it with Jeremy yet, but I was thinking maybe you would want to move in with us." She could see in his eyes that he was going to refuse the offer, so she continued on with her plan in a rush so that he could not say no just yet. "We have two empty bedrooms, so if you want Jenna's old room you are welcome to it, but if that is too much you can also have the other room. Jer and I have lost a lot of family in the past few years, so I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we aren't willing to let that happen again. If we all live together, we can watch out for one another and feel comfortable knowing that we are all safe. What do you think?"

The comment about family caught Alaric slightly off guard. He definitely thought of them as family, but he was surprised to hear that they felt the same way. He considered saying no, feeling as though he was imposing on them, but the thought of moving in here made him feel a sense of relief that he could not look past. So he agreed.

"That would be really great Elena. As long as Jeremy and Damon are both okay with it." He said and looked to them for their response.

"Absolutely!" Jeremy said.

"Well Ric, it would be nice to have someone else around to drink with once in awhile, so I guess it would be okay with me." Damon said with a smirk. Elena knew that Damon was actually happy about the idea, but of course he couldn't show too much excitement to anyone and ruin his 'I don't care about anything' image. She just smiled knowing that Alaric also knew this to be the case.

That weekend Alaric moved out of his apartment and into the Gilbert house. He decided to use the spare room, thinking that it would be too hard to move on from Jenna living in a room surrounded by memories of her. He felt happier than he had in a long time, and he was really glad to have met such wonderful people to call his family. He knew it was going to be hard to move on from Jenna, especially because he had recently lost Isobel for the second time as well, but he knew that with the help of his family he would be able to eventually do it.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own TVD. **

**Chapter 4**

School started again and Elena started taking classes at the local community college with Bonnie, Tyler, and Caroline. They had discussed moving away but with Jeremy still in school they knew they needed to be there for him. So they decided that after Jeremy graduated, they would all leave Mystic Falls. They would find a new town to start over again, where hopefully they would not have run-ins with supernatural beings ever day, other than themselves of course.

The year anniversary of the ritual came and went. They all avoided talking about it until the day actually arrived. It began with Elena and Alaric having a heart-to-heart about Jenna and how she would want him to move on with his life and meet someone new to love. As they were talking Jeremy and Bonnie showed up, followed by Damon and eventually Carolyn and Tyler. They all shared stories, both happy and sad, and finally drifted off going separate ways to deal with their grief alone for the remainder of the night. Of course Damon and Elena spent the night together, as they did every night, but this night was different. As they lay in bed holding one another, they finally allowed themselves to discuss Stefan freely for the first time since he had left.

"He loved you more than anything else, you know? I thought he'd never be happy again after Katherine, but then he met you and it was like he was his old self again. The brother I knew and loved before Katherine came into our lives. You brought him and I back together, and I will forever be grateful of you for that." Damon said softly as he stroked Elena's hair.

"He loved you too, Damon. I know I caused you guys to fight and I hate myself for that, but he was happy to have you back in his life, that much I know for sure." Elena let out a sigh, and Damon instantly knew what she was thinking.

"You are not Katherine, Elena. You could never be like her. _She_ tore us apart, _you_ brought us back together. Yes, we bickered and fought at times, and Stefan hated that I was falling for you, but you are still the reason that we became brothers again."

They both lay there silently for awhile, thinking about what the other had said. Finally, Elena spoke up.

"Thank you Damon, for being here for me this past year. I don't know what I would have done without you. I definitely wouldn't be this content with my life. Losing Stefan was so hard, and I don't want you to think for a minute that I think of you as a replacement for him, but being with you does make me feel close to him still. Knowing that we both hold a piece of him in our hearts…" Elena trailed off, lost in her thoughts again.

"You don't have to thank me. We were both here for each other. I know I don't say it much, but it was hard for me to lose him too. And I feel the same way. He will always be with us through our memories." Damon squeezed her shoulders and she cuddled closer to him.

They spent the rest of the night talking about Stefan and all the happy memories they have of him. Damon told her stories about their childhood and about how close they were before Katherine came along. And Elena told him about how her and Stefan met and how she had grown to love him. She thought she would feel awkward talking to Damon about falling in love with Stefan, but she did not at all. It seemed entirely natural to be sharing these memories with him, even as she was curled up in bed with her former love's brother.

From that point on there was no more skirting around the topic of Stefan. They would talk about him on a regular basis without cringing at the thought of their missing loved one. Opening up like this with each other was a real turning point in their relationship. Elena was starting to have very strong feelings for Damon, and now that they were able to discuss Stefan as her former lover instead of her current boyfriend, she allowed herself to give in to the feelings for Damon more than she had in the past. And Damon seemed more open to her than he ever had in the past. It was actually getting to the point where Elena was shy to be in bed with Damon because of the feelings of longing she was having for him. After a few nights of her not getting very close to him, he finally called her on it.

"What's going on with you Elena? The last few days you've been acting distant and strange. Did I do something to upset you?" He asked and Elena could see the real concern in his eyes. She wanted so badly to just blurt out how she felt about him, but she was too scared. No matter what Damon said, she always had the fear in the back of her mind that she would be like Katherine. She constantly questioned whether she had mourned for Stefan long enough, whether she was worthy of Damon's love, whether she could ever show Damon how much she cared about him without him always thinking he was a replacement for Stefan. So instead of talking, she decided to just go for it and hope he did not reject her again like the last time. She leaned forward and whispered his name with their faces just inches apart. She looked into his eyes and could see the longing there. She knew in her heart that they both wanted this, and she was finally ready to give into it, but she froze. She could not bring herself to close the distance between their lips. It would have to be Damon's choice this time. Her eyes darted quickly down to his lips and then back to his eyes. It took a moment for Damon to realize what she was asking; of course she would be afraid to make the first move again after he turned her down the last time. He definitely would not make that mistake twice. His lips turned up slightly in a smile and then he crashed his mouth to hers.

The kiss started out soft and slow and quickly turned more passionate. They did not speak any words the rest of the night, other than the soft sounds of pleasure and desire and unadulterated love for one another. They eventually fell asleep in a naked tangle of limbs, both feeling happier than they had in a very long time. They were both so sound asleep that they did not notice the window sliding opening or the form standing over them with a look of rage on his face.

"Elena! Wake up!" Damon jostled her until she finally opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion.

"What's going on?" She asked as she watched him rush to the window and lock it. It was still dark out, so it must be early morning. She noticed he had already put his clothes back on, and that fact did not make her happy. She wanted to spend the day in bed basking in the afterglow of the amazing night they had shared.

"It's Stefan. He's back." As he said the words, Elena felt her blood run cold. How could Stefan be back? It had been a year since he had left. Why now? Deep down she always knew this day would come, but it had been so long she had started to delude herself into thinking he was never coming back. The panic was beginning to set in. Was he still drinking human blood? Was he here because he wanted to kill her or because he missed her and wanted to be with her again? And if he did want to be with her, would she be with him? It was not like they had ever officially broken up, it had just been assumed that when he left her their relationship was also over. After last night, there was no going back for her. She definitely still loved Stefan and probably always would, but things were different now. Damon was the man in her life. Although they had not officially become a couple or discussed what last night meant to each of them, she had assumed that was where they were headed. She loved Damon and she knew he loved her. They just needed time to talk and figure things out. Elena finally snapped out of her reverie when she realized that Damon was staring at her.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked and she detected a faint hint of sadness in his voice.

"Where do I start? Did you see Stefan? Why was he here? And why didn't he wake me up if he came here to see me?" She asked in a rush.

"I didn't see him. I just woke up and I can smell him, so I know he was here. I have no idea what he wants or why he didn't wake us up. I assume he may have woken you if it wasn't for the fact that you were sleeping in my arms…naked." As he spoke he moved to the window and stared out into the night. "I need to go to the boarding house and talk to him, I'm sure that is where he's staying."

"If you're going, I'm going with you." Elena said with determination. This was her one trait that he most loved and hated at the same time. He knew he was going to be in for a fight in trying to change her mind.

"Elena, _please_. Don't argue with me on this. We have no idea what state of mind Stefan is in right now, and I refuse to put your life in danger until I have a chance to find out." He looked at her with pleading eyes, knowing that he was probably going to lose this battle but having to try anyway.

"And you think I'm okay with putting your life in danger, Damon? I know you're less breakable than me, but that doesn't mean I want you to risk getting hurt either!" She practically yelled this, but then softened at the next words that left her mouth. "I love you, Damon. I need you to be okay just as much as you need me to be." Elena blushed and looked down, slightly embarrassed at having admitted her feelings for him in that moment. Damon was in front of her in a flash and he gently lifted her chin so that she met his gaze. They both stared into each others eyes for a moment and then Damon's lips met hers. This kiss was different than last night. Last night was passionate and full of need. This kiss was slow and showed how much they each loved the other. It told her everything she needed to know about their relationship. Even if they had not discussed it, her and Damon were very much together. There was no going back to Stefan, even if he did return to his old self. Damon was a part of her now, he was her life as much as she was his. Damon finally broke apart from the kiss and looked deep into Elena's eyes once again, then spoke with more conviction than she had ever heard from him.

"I love you, Elena. So, so much. And knowing that you feel the same way, that is more than I ever could have hoped for. If you want to go to Stefan together, we will. But not now. We will wait until tomorrow and then go see him. We're taking backup though, just in case." Elena started to respond but before she had a chance Damon had her back in bed, wrapped in his arms, kissing her as if she was the most precious thing on the earth. She knew in that moment that whatever happened with Stefan tomorrow, and despite the love she once felt for him in the past, Damon was her forever.


End file.
